The treacherous journey to London left us all in need of an adventure. This lead us to the Tower of London. The famous monument of British artifacts, culture, and beautiful architecture. Despite the pull of the jet lag, the Tower of London certainly did not disappoint. The royal family famously had their band of Royal Beasts kept around for entertainment. The exhibition revealed that many (if not all) of these animals were poorly kept due to a lack of knowledge on what they required. Polar bears were released (on long ropes) into the Thames in order to catch fish. Many animals were left to roam freely resulting in many deaths. One of my favorite exhibitions was the Giant and the Dwarf in theWhite Tower. Two sets of armor for an unusually large man and an unusually small man. It was later rumored that the small suit of armor was in fact for a young 5 year old boy. As for the large suit, what could possibly explain it other than a real life giant? Many scandals were going on within the London Tower including the imprisonment of many members of the royal family. Princess Elizabeth was held prisoner in the Tower of London before her reign as Elizabeth 1. She was poorly treated by her step and half family for most of her life and eventually put up for execution. Her claimed devotion to the throne saved her and lead to her eventual ruling.
Aside from the riveting family history and quarrels, the Tower of London was simply full of beautiful pieces. The crowned jewels were beyond impressive, the architectural style was brilliant, and the guards of the British monarchy; the ravens, were captivating. I have never seen such wickedly beautiful birds in my life, they were certainly my favorite part of the Tower. Their story of upholding the monarchy and clipped wings were incredibly interesting. They are also, when you think about it, the last standing royal beasts in the Tower of London. Roaming about the grounds, potentially biting patrons as lions used to.
I look forward to more beasts, armor, and torture chambers. As we scratch the surface of London, I am eager to dig and keep exploring.
Theatre in London U of A 